San Sebastian Adds Two Sidebars

'Midnight Showings' and 'Film and Gastronomy' join the festival's lineup.

MADRID -- In a move to spice things up, San Sebastian International Film Festival's new director announced Friday the addition of two newly created sidebars "Midnight Showings" and "Film and Gastronomy."

"We wanted to add a bit of fun," festival director Jose Luis Rebordinos told The Hollywood Reporter. "Festivals more and more are offering the same kinds of sidebars. They just have different names, but feature the same kind of product. We wanted to bring something new to the table."

The permanent Showings sidebar will feature Japanese erotic films from Japanese studio Nikkatsu this year, screening from midnight to 5 a.m.

The opening session will feature the documentary Pinku Eiga: Inside the Pleasure Dome of Japanese Erotic Cinema, helmed by France's Yves Montmayeur, followed by two titles from '70s-'80s Nikkatsu.

As home to a cluster of the world's top restaurants and chefs - including Mugaritz and Arzak both ranked in the top 10 -- San Sebastian seemed a natural place to create the second sidebar focused on gastronomy, Rebordinos said.

"Each of the seven films showcased will be followed by a thematic meal -- if the film is about chocolate all the plates will include chocolate. If it's about wine, we'll have a wine tasting," the director explained.

San Sebastian, which previously announced a tribute to French director Jacques Demy and showcases of American film noir from the past two decades and latest Chinese Digital movies.